https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Traveling with Truck Drivers

Hitchhiking his way with truck drivers across India gave a new sense of meaning and perspective to journalist turned IRAS officer Rajat Ubhaykar. While awaiting his first posting, he has already written the book detailing his experiences with truck drivers on various highways.
Indian Masterminds Stories

Wanderlust, that unstoppable urge to travel, can take many forms and shapes. One can travel on trains, planes, and ships, or do some serious hitch-hiking. From the days of Marco Polo, the great Italian traveler of the middle ages to a plethora of modern-day travelers, Mother Earth has been traversed several times by those willing to enjoy its myriad charms.

But journalist turned IRAS officer Rajat Ubhaykar took an altogether different route to whet his appetite for experiencing new terrains. He traveled several thousand kilometers across the length and breadth of India simply by hitch-hiking in trucks!

In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, Mr. Ubhaykar talks about his adventures while hitchhiking across the country, and his many experiences with the truck drivers of India.

IAS Rajat Ubhaykar with his book – ‘Truck De India’

A BURNING PASSION

Mr. Ubhaykar was formerly a journalist with Outlook Business Magazine. While he was in his early twenties, he realized that his true passion lies in traveling across the nation and exploring everything that exists in the country. But he wanted to do it in a different way.

He wished to travel with truck drivers because he felt this was one section of the society about whom not many people knew and hardly anyone seemed to care.

“No one was aware about what goes on in the highways and how are the lives of these truck drivers in reality. I wanted to bring them to the forefront and therefore I made up my mind to go on this totally unplanned trip and see where my destiny takes me to,” Mr. Ubhaykar told Indian Masterminds.

He traveled in trucks across India

So one day, having made up his mind, he entered his editor’s office and told her about his desire to travel and that he wished to leave his job to go for a hitchhiking trip with the truck drivers. The plan was to travel all over the country for 3-4 months.

“Surprisingly,’’ recalled Mr Ubhaykar, “the editor asked me to keep my job and suggested that I write a six part series for them, based on my journey. She told me that I could continue to draw my salary while I’m at the journey. Everything fell into place and I began my travels up and down the country.”

His journey rejuvenated him

ON THE ROAD

Initially, Mr. Ubhaykar was a little scared as to how he would survive with truck drivers without any first-hand experience with them. He knew that they belonged to different worlds and therefore, before stepping out on the highway, he visited truck terminals in and around Mumbai and interacted with truckers there to get a sense of their world.

“This experience helped me to partly get rid of this fear; given how warm and open these truckers were with me. I realized genuine curiosity and interest were probably sufficient to overcome this class differential. And to my relief, during the journey, this fear progressively evaporated with every trucker I hitched with, who treated me with the kind of honesty and generosity I can say I had never experienced before,” he said.

The journey rejuvenated him

Talking about his experiences, the officer stated that given the diversity and vastness of India, he came across several stories and opinions that changed his perceptions about life.

“For instance, while I was hitchhiking in Kashmir, I hitchhiked alongside nomadic shepherds called gujjars and bakarwals, who had an ancient traveling system wherein they go from plains to the mountains during summers and retrace their steps during during winters. Hitchhiking with them and talking to them about life gave me a unique perspective of the kind of people that live in India. Even North East India was an interesting experience,” he said.

TRUCK DE INDIA

A graduate from the Asian College of Journalism, and an electrical engineer from IIT Kanpur, Mr. Ubhaykar penned down his experiences in his travelogue, ‘Truck De India: A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Hindustan’ where he narrated his encounters embarking on a 10,000 km-long, 100% unplanned trip, hitchhiking with truckers all across India.

On the way, he made unexpected friendships, listened to highway ghost stories, and discovered the near-fatal consequences of overloading trucks. In Punjab, he documented the fascinating tradition of truck art. He traveled the insurgent-ridden highways through Nagaland and Manipur but was unfailingly greeted by the unconditional kindness from perfect strangers.

The officer in his book launch

ENTERING THE CIVIL SERVICE

Mr Ubhaykar’s passion and determination to learn more about India and expand his worldview while bringing about a change for good in the country led him to the doorsteps of UPSC.

“My experiences with the truck drivers and as a journalist brought me closer to the people of my country. It gave me a firsthand knowledge of their requirements. I understood that serving the government would help me influence and serve people in a better manner; therefore I started preparing for UPSC while I was simultaneously writing the book,” says Mr. Ubhaykar.

He recently cleared the UPSC examination and is now waiting for his first posting. As to how will he balance out his travel and work as a civil servant, he believes his priority will be public interest and he will find a way to travel in between, to keep his passion alive.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
SJVN
Leadership Continuity: Rajendra Prasad Goyal Given Additional Charge as Director (Finance) of SJVN Ltd- Know more about Him
government-of-haryana
Haryana Government Transfers 2 IPS, 13 HPS Officers in Major Police Reshuffle- Check Details
scam
‘Hello, This is IPS Officer Speaking…’: 9th-Pass Youth Tricks Cops in Three States with Fake Voice Scam
Screenshot 2025-07-18 214334
L&T Chairman Mr. S.N. Subrahmanyan’s FY25 Remuneration Jumps Nearly 50% to Rs. 76.25 Crore!
bureaucracy news
Appointments Update: IRS Kommisetty Murlidhar to Join Andhra Govt; Jay Nath Yadav Inducted into IAS
Indian Overseas Bank (IOB)
Indian Overseas Bank Plans Rs. 4,000 Crore Fundraising via QIP; Net Profit Soars 76% in Q1 FY26
Paresh Saxena IPS
IPS Officer Dr Paresh Saxena Protests Empanelment Denial, Returns President’s Distinguished Service Medal
Screenshot 2025-07-18 212145
Chhattisgarh: CM Vishnu Deo Sai Unveils ‘Anjor Vision @ 2047’ - A Bold Roadmap for a Developed Future!
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
promila gupta
The Secret of The Secret – How To Make The Universe Conspire For You
AI 171 CRASH
AAIB Initial Probe In AI-171 Crash Questioned By Aviation Experts
Ravi Kapoor
Why Ex-IRS Officer Ravi Kapoor Walked Away from Power
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Bhavesh Royada
“People often don’t put in the effort required for exams of this level,” Bhavesh Royada
Bhavesh Royada left a stable engineering job to follow his passion for nature. Overcoming failures and...
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-14 at 15.58
The Economist Who Became an IFS Officer
How Abhimanyu Gahlaut balanced global economics and civil services dreams to crack UPSC with AIR 38
Disha Dwivedi UPSC
How Disha Dwivedi Cracked UPSC in Her Sixth Attempt with Unshakable Determination
Disha Dwivedi’s UPSC journey from five prelims failures to securing AIR 672 in 2024 showcases strategic...
Social Media
Screenshot 2025-07-18 203508
Majestic Tiger Rescue and Release in Sundarbans Captivates the Internet: IFS Susanta Nanda Shares Video On X
The video captures the tiger’s strength, agility, and instinct—a breathtaking sight as the big cat slices...
Standing Leopard
Leopard Stuns Internet by Standing on Two Legs Like a Meerkat
A rare video of a leopard standing on two legs in Kruger Park stuns viewers and goes viral across social...
G S Roshni
Kerala’s Fearless Forest Officer G.S. Roshni Rescues 16-Foot King Cobra with Bare Hands, Garners Praise & Critique
Beat Forest Officer G.S. Roshni’s first-ever king cobra rescue goes viral, earning her the title of ‘Green...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
SJVN
Leadership Continuity: Rajendra Prasad Goyal Given Additional Charge as Director (Finance) of SJVN Ltd- Know more about Him
government-of-haryana
Haryana Government Transfers 2 IPS, 13 HPS Officers in Major Police Reshuffle- Check Details
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
promila gupta
AI 171 CRASH
Ravi Kapoor
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT